Adam John Tan

Adam J. Tan is an associate at Essex Richards, specializing in Business and Corporate Matters, Contracts, Labor and Employment, Estates and Probate, and General Civil Litigation Matters.

Legal Background:

Prior to joining Essex Richards, Adam practiced law in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate with varied experience in Government Contracts and Acquisitions, Regulatory Compliance, Employment law, Estate Planning, and Criminal Litigation.  He also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the district of South Carolina and the district of Idaho.  Adam is admitted to practice law in the State of North Carolina, the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals.  He is also accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs to represent claimants before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

Adam continues to serve as a JAG, part-time, with the 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard in Charlotte, North Carolina.

• North Carolina, 2010
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 2010
• U.S. Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, 2010

• University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 2010 J.D.
• University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 2007 B.S., Business Administration

• American Bar Association
  • Business Law Section Member
  • Labor and Employment Law Section Member
  • Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section Member
• North Carolina Bar Association
  • Business Law Section Member
  • Labor & Employment Section Member
  • Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Section Member
• Mecklenburg County Bar Association
  • Young Lawyers Division Member
• North Carolina Air National Guard
• ABA Military Pro Bono Project

Behind the Resume:

Adam was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.  In August of 2000, he enlisted in the United States Air Force as an Aircraft Electrical and Environmental Systems Maintainer, deploying to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Southern Watch in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.  By July of 2003, he was selected for the prestigious SOAR program (Scholarships for Outstanding Airmen to ROTC) to pursue a commission as an Officer.  Adam attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he completed four years of ROTC and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.  Adam then moved to North Carolina, earning his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  While studying law at UNC, he was dually assigned to the Air Force Institute of Technology and UNC’s ROTC program.  He also served as a Carolina Law Ambassador and was a merit-based scholarship recipient.

In his spare time, Adam enjoys spending time with friends and family, SEC football (Go Gators!), ACC basketball (Go Heels!) and his dogs, Parker and Spooky.  His wife, Kristen, is a native Charlottean and practicing Nurse Anesthetist.